Interlocking knockdown table



Feb. 12, 1952 J. G. GRAUER INTERLOCKING KNOCKDOWN TABLE Filed May 27,1946 Inveni'or M Attorney.

Patented F eb. 12, 1 952 OFFICE INTERLOCKING KNOCKDOWN TABLE Jacob G.Grauei', Glenside, Pa.

Application May 27, 1946, Serial No. 672,602

1 Claim.

My invention is a collapsible table composed of a few types of simpleelements which may be readily assembled and locked rigidly together toprovide a single section table or a multiple section table. Whendisassembled the elements may be laid together in the same direction toform a bundle of a size and shape permitting convenient portability andstorage.

My invention permits the assembling of a corner supported single sectiontable from elements of only five types which are rigidly but detachablylocked together,rviz., legs, battens, center leaf, side leaves andbolts, and permits the assembly of a multiple section table by theinclusion of but one additional type of element, viz., a modifiedbatten.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, a set of similarlegs areinserted through vertical apertures in battens of single width or doublewidth type. A center leaf is detachably interlocked to the battens, andside leaves, like one another in construction, are interlocked with thelegs on opposite sides of the central leaf, which latter is thereby heldagainst disengagement of its interlocking connection with the battens.By the use of battens of suitable width and provided with means forinterlocking a pair of central leaves in end abutted relation, amultiple section table of any desired length may be constructed frominterchangeable elements similar to those used in the construction of asingle section table. If desirable, the legs may be composed oftelescoped extensible sections for varying the height of the table orleveling or inclining the surface thereof. I a

My improved table is particularly designed for picnic or out of dooruse, but it'i's equally suitable for use wherever a quickly erected andquickly disassembled table may be required.

The principles and characteristic features of my invention, and themanner of making, constructing and using my improved table, will furtherappear from the accompanying drawings and the following descriptionexplaining the best mode in which I have contemplated applying suchprinciples.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of a tableembodying my invention and having multiple top sections with abuttedends, the section on which the view is taken being along the lineindicated by the line Il of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top planview of the left hand end of the table shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an endelevation of the left hand end of the table view taken approximately onthe line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectionalview through the central leaves and batten at the right hand end of thetable shown in Fig. 1;

- Fig. 6 is an elevation of the batten shown at the left hand end ofFig. l and which may be substituted for the batten shown at the righthand end of Fig. 1 when a table having single top section is to beassembled; and Fig. '7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional viewthrough the central leaf at the right hand end of Fig. 1 when a narrowbatten like that shown in Fig. 6 and on the left of Fig. 1 issubstituted for the wide batten shown in Fig. 1 and the auxiliarysection of the top is removed.

In Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, I have illustrated an embodiment of myinvention in a multiple section table having a top comprising endabutting sections each composed of leaves 8, 9 and ID. The leaves may beconveniently made of plywood panels reenforced by frame members 27 andrim sections 21' around edges thereof.

Each leaf 9 has beveled longitudinal edge flaring outwardly toward thebottom at an angle of approximately 60 thereto so as to form anintermediate leaf of substantially dovetail cross section. The outerleaves 8 and lil may be identical and interchangeable with one anotherby turning them end for end and each is provided with a beveledlongitudinal edge complementary to and adapted to overlie a beveled edgeof the intermediate leaf to prevent the upward or lateral displacementof the latter.

The leaves rest on and are supported by a vertically apertured singlewidth batten II and.

the double Width batten I2, the latter being substantially twice thewidth of the former, and provided with a pair of spaced tenons II. Thebattens II and i2 are otherwise similar to and interchangeable with oneanother to provide for the support of a single end or multiple ends oftop sections.

The battens are supported by legs l3 having rectangular tongues It ofreduced cross section inserted through the rectangular apertures I5 inthe ends of the battens and abutting against the underside of the panelsof the leaves 8 and I8 adjacent to the corners thereof. Preferablyzigzag brackets I6 are fixed to the frame members of the leaves 8 and 10adjacent to the corners thereof to give rigidity to the frames andprovide sockets for the tongues l4.

Tenons I1 project upward from the battens l I shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 isa transverse sectional and 12 into the mortises or sockets 18 in theend.

frame members of the leaves 9 so as to prevent longitudinal or lateralmovement of the leaves 9 relatively to the battens but permitting theleaves 9 to be vertically lifted when the leaves 8 and I are free tomove upward from the battens.

Such upward movement of the leaves 8 and I0 relatively to the battensmay be prevented by inserting bolts [9 in sockets 2| formed by alignedhorizontal apertures in brackets l6, tongues l4, frame members 27 andrim sections 21. The bolts preferably have shafts of unequal lengthseparated by eyes forming stops limiting the penetration of therespective shafts and permitting the attachment of the bolts to framemembers 27 by means of chains 20. When not in use, the bolts may beengaged in the spring clips 22 on frame sections 21.

The legs [3 may be provided with sockets [3' extending longitudinallyupward from the bottoms thereof for receiving tongues 24' of legextension sections 24. The tongues 24 contain series of transversepassages 23 which may be aligned with transverse apertures 13 in the legsections 13 for the passage of bolts 25 secured by chains 26 to theleg'sections 24.

It will be understood that when a single section table is to beassembled, the tongues M of four legs are inserted through the apertures[5 of a pair of battens -II and a center leaf 9 is laid on top of thespaced battens so that the tenons ll of the batten enter the mortises 18of the leaf 9, the outer leaves 8 and are then laid on the battens withtheir beveled edges overlying the beveled edges of the leaf 9, and theshorter shafts of the bolts l9 are inserted in the sockets 21, therebylocking all of the elements together.

If desired or required, the tongues 24' may be inserted in the socketsl3 and bolted thereto by passing the bolts 25 through the apertures l3and appropriate apertures 23 to raise the table as a whole to a desiredlevel or to level the surface of the table, should the legs be restingon an uneven base.

To provide a table of greater length, a wide batten l2 may besubstituted for -a batten I l and the ends of an additional set ofleaves 8, 9 and I0 rested thereon, as shown at the right hand end ofFig. 1. The longer shafts of the bolts I!) are then inserted into theabutted and aligned sockets 24 formed by the horizontal apertures in theleaves 6 and 10 of both sets. 'The longer of the shafts of the bolt -9is of sufficient length to extend through the apertures in the brackets16 of both sets of leaves whose ends are abutted on the batten I2 and asufficiently rigid joint is thereby provided to obviate the necessity ofa second pair of legs under the batten 12. The second set of leaves 8, 9and [0 may have its remote end supported by a batten II or 12 and a pairof legs I3, or may be used as a projecting cantilever construction.

By the use of battens l2 and pairs of legs 13 any desired number oftable sections may be assembled in end abutting relation and securelylocked together.

When it is desired to disassemble and pack the table, it is onlynecessary to pull the bolts 19 and 25 out of their sockets, lift theleaves from the battens and withdraw the legs from the battens. Thesedisassembled parts may be laid with the legs, battens and leaves allextending in the .same direction and of approximately similar lengh andmay be easily packaged into a compact and readily portable bundle.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A table comprising a top having longitudinal sections with abutted ends,each of said sections including a frame and leaves, said frame havingtransverse and fixed members each immovable from one another, aperturedbrackets fixed to said transverse members of said frames adjacent to thecorners thereof and forming sockets therewith, legs having aperturedupper sections seated in said (sockets, and bolts movable through theapertures of said brackets and leg sections, each of said bolts havingshafts of different length spaced by a stop, one of said shafts being ofsuillcient length to intersect a leg and both of said brackets forlocking said sections together and the other of said shafts being ofsufficient length to intersect a leg and one only of said bracketswithout protruding beyond the edge of said top.

JACOB G. GRAUER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 396,918 Butler Jan. 29, 1889558,297 Nau Apr. 14, 1896 1,148,070 Billingsly July 27, 1915 1,205,286Strauch Nov. 21, 1916 1,216,079 Cook Feb. 13, 1917 1,626,095 RamsburgApr. 26, 1927 1,719,039 Alexander July 2, 1929 1,792,406 Tomlinson Feb.10, 1931 1,940,117 'Carpos Dec. 19, 1933 2,166,195 Rosenberget al July18, 1939 2,166,196 Rosenberg July 18, 1939 2,403,338 Butler July 2, 1946FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 617,895 Germany Aug. 28, 1935

